[attr="class","spiral"]Despite the rocky start to their journey, Drifter is surprisingly agreeable as they enter the cave proper and begin to travel through it. Which is good because Birdie struggles to keep her attention on him once she sees the interior. To call it beautiful would be rude, it's gorgeous. Captivating.

The way the waterfalls crash, and pool, only to crash again deeper into the cavern. The way the pools themselves sparkle and the glass-like stillness to them. She doesn't realize she's holding her breath until the feeling of her Murkrow shoving off from her shoulder presses it out of her.

"Drifter, a warning next time!" she whisper shouts at him as he lands near the edge of the still water. He doesn't respond, just gazes into the water like he's watching something. ". . . uh, Drifter? What do you --" the word "see" goes from the tip of her tongue to stuck somewhere in her throat when a Pokemon leaps from the water. It takes a snap at her Murkrow, but he slyly side-steps it.

"Ah, uh," her brain races as she thinks of what to do. In the meantime the wild Pokemon acts again. It opens its mouth and a set of shimmering fangs appear in the air. They attempt to latch down on Drifter but flicker and vanish instead upon meeting his feathers. He laughs at that, a raucous series of crows and honks.

"Come here!" she finally settles on an order and Drifter looks at her like she's asked him to throw away a new toy, "I mean it, I don't wanna mess with that!"

He only half listens, delaying his return long enough for the wild Pokemon to attempt another ineffectual attack. He's still chuckling as he climbs up her shirt. And he climbs, scratching her through the fabric with his talons. It's not bad enough to bleed but Birdie is sure it's intentional.

[attr="class","spiral"]"Agh, dude, claws, c'mon," Birdie grunts the words out between the scratching steps of her Murkrow but, like most things, they fall on deaf ears. Drifter gives her a look as if to let her know her fresh scrapes are the debt owed for ruining his fun before settling on her shoulder again. Once she's sure he's done moving around she gets back to walking through the cave.

"I'm serious Drifter, we're partners now," she tries to talk to him as she navigates a slippery incline, "I know we didn't get off on the best foot but we need to look out for each other! What's that line from my book . . ." she hits the bottom of the incline and stops to think, hands on her hips.

"Right, 'In their natural state, Pokemon are wild living things. They are free. Pokemon touch the good hearts of Trainers and learn right from wrong. They touch the good hearts of trainers and grow strong'," she recites it like a professor, the one quote she has memorized from the pilfered books in her bag, "So just listen to me and stop being such a dick!"

While momentarily interested, Drifter kicks off from her shoulder again at that last comment. Birdie huffs and rolls her eyes. Whatever, she knew reasoning with this brat wasn't possible. She follows him at a light jog as he once again hops off without her, and once again comes to a stop as he finds something in the pools worth staring at.

"What? Find another Pokemon?" she asks before reluctantly following his line of sight. The last thing that caught his eye was that scary fish, and she doesn't relish the idea of putting up with another one of them -- no matter how little Drifter had been threatened. Those teeth just looked nasty.

But her eyes light up this time when she sees what he sees. A small group of big headed somethings skate by on the water's surface. Their little legs flex as they propel themselves forward, and over their heads a sturdy bubble warps and wiggles with each shift of their weight. As they pass one of them locks eyes with Drifter. Distracted, it stops following the others to stare.

Drifter watches without moving for a bit, but then his eyes swivel. The group makes their way down a waterfall and leaves their curious compatriot alone. It's the moment Drifter was waiting for, the Murkrow lifts off before swooping down at his unsuspecting prey. Dark talons lash out for a FEINT ATTACK on its head.

"Drifter," she tries to scold him from the shore, but he won't be deterred this time. His talons dig through the bubble to scratch the wild pokemon's face. The pokemon flinches but the bubble doesn't pop, instead closing up curiously around Drifter's leg. In the moment he's distracted by this phenomenon his opponent exhales something. Suddenly he's flapping wildly in the air, cawing in frustration as a spotaneous INFESTATION eats at the flesh under his feathers.

"Ah! Uh, get back here!" realizing a real battle is breaking out Birdie tries to do what she did last time and just make Drifter come back, but he doesn't listen, "God would you just . . . Return!" she fishes for his pokeball, rifling through her bag for a moment before pulling it out and holding it in his direction. A red capture light bursts from within it, but suddenly peters out once it comes within a foot of the Murkrow.

"Fuck, uh, can you hear me?" she shouts at him as he tumbles out of the sky and scrabbles against the wet, stone floor of the cave. He shoots her a glare. Okay, so he can.

"Uh, those are bugs eating at you right? Maybe uh, maybe it's a bug?" for a moment Drifter seems to give her his attention, but as she stumbles over her words she watches his attention begin to shift back to their opponent, "Woah woah! Okay, sorry, my point is uh . . . Wing Attack? Try a Wing Attack!"

Birdie cringes as she gives the order. It's her first time directing a battle and she sounds so lame doing it! Thankfully, Drifter seems used to her lack of flare in all things and is angry enough to accept any idea thrown his way. He takes to the air again, shakily still on account of the continued INFESTATION, and tries to swoop on the pokemon again. It's too straightforward, the bug LUNGES to meet his approach.

Its attack clashes with Drifter's WING ATTACK. They trade blows. Both stumble back, the bug into the water and Drifter back to the shore. The wing he met the LUNGE with spasms slightly.

Wanting to run more than fight, their opponent takes those spasms as its cue to leave and begins to shoot for the waterfall.

"Just let it --" she starts to order another retreat, but for the second time Drifter refuses to listen. At the sight of the fleeing pokemon he takes off. Injured wing or no he'll be damned if he lets it get away so easily. He thrusts his talons forward as he swoops in. His dogged PURSUIT catches it right before it can leap down the waterfall. Angrily, he flings the bug out of the water and towards the shore. It skids across the stone before stopping still a second later.

"Oh, wow," the words leave on an exhale as Drifter returns, breathing heavily and clutching his wing hard to his side. He begins to approach the downed pokemon with a dangerous look in his eyes . . . Birdie quickly chucks a pokeball on top of it. When he glares up at her she shoots him an anxious smile.

"Spoil of victory?" she asks as the pokeball shudders. He huffs and looks away.